Alabama Basketball Superstar Named to AP All-America Third Team

Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. was named to the Associated Press' All-America Third Team on Wednesday.

This is the second NCAA media outlet to reveal their All-American list, as the Sporting News included Phion on its Third Team as well. The others two remaining are the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

That said, these are not Philon's first awards this year, as he was named to the All-SEC First Team on March 9.

Philon withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft during the offseason with hopes of all-around improvement as a sophomore. It certainly worked, as the four-time SEC Player of the Week finished third in the conference in points per game (21.5 on 50.7 percent from the field) and fourth in assists per game (4.8). Philon has often been considered a lottery pick in countless mocks for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats said in a recent press conference that Philon is the first power-4 player since 2000 who averaged 21-plus points, 4-plus assists and shot over 50 percent from the field.

Philon led the Crimson Tide to being named the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday and will face 13-seed Hofstra on March 20 in Tampa Bay, Florida. The Crimson Tide was labeled as the No. 14 overall seed after the full bracket was announced.

Alabama and Hofstra have never met. In addition to being the underdog, the Pride has some added pressure to its name, as this is its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. Head coach Speedy Claxton played for Hofstra from 1996-2000, was an assistant there from 2013 up until he took his current position in 2021.

This will be Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats' sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. The only other time that's happened in program history was from 1982-87, but the 1987 appearance was vacated by NCAA penalties.

AP All-America First Team

Cameron Boozer, Duke
AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
JT Toppin, Texas Tech

AP All-America Second Team

Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Braden Smith, Purdue
Jeremy Fears, Michigan State
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina

AP All-America Third Team

Kingston Flemings, Houston
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Graham Ike, Gonzaga

Honorable Mentions:

Michael Ajayi, Butler; Jaden Bradley, Arizona; Brayden Burries, Arizona; Rueben Chinyelu, Florida; Zuby Ejiofor, St. John's; PJ Haggerty, Kansas State; Ebuka Okorie, Stanford; Darryn Peterson, Kansas; Bennett Stirtz, Iowa; Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt; Bruce Thornton, Ohio State.

Every AP All-American in Alabama Basketball History:

2025-26: Labaron Philon – Third Team
2024-25: Mark Sears – First Team
2023-24: Mark Sears – Second Team
2022-23: Brandon Miller – First Team
2020-21: Herb Jones – Third Team
2001-02: Erwin Dudley – Third Team
1986-87: Derrick McKey – Third Team
1982-83: Ennis Whatley – Third Team
1978-79: Reggie King – Second Team
1977-78: Reggie King – Second Team
1975-76: Leon Douglas – Third Team
1974-75: Leon Douglas – Second Team

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